Private Tales Foosty Gobshytes

[Riley]

She burrowed further against him, a breathy laugh on skin. Riley didn’t usually sleep soundly. Kaius had seen how fitful it could be. But lately. The past two nights curled up against him? She’d slept the most soundly in her entire life. Ohhhhh and she’d been so deliciously warm.

still.

she’d woken before the elf. Even managed to slip out of bed without him knowing. She’d braved the snow without him and scavenged some wild eggs. The door opened and closed with a quiet thud and a small burst of cold air as she came back in, shrugging off the coat and her boots, fresh snow slogging off.

“chip chop chop Kaius. Breakfast is here.”

 

[Kaius]

His green eyes snapped open at the sound of the door closing, his hand reaching to pat at the empty bed beside him and his brow furrowing at the sudden wash of cold air against his bare skin. He lifted his head to look at her, his gaze narrowed in a squint against the light for a moment as he stared in confusion. He let out a huff and let his head hit the pillow with another groan.. They had to move today, time had not slowed as he’d wished it would, and he wasn’t ready to leave any of this behind. He rubbed at his face and rolled out of bed, tying the sheets around his waist and stretching as he walked to her. Arms came down around her and he pulled her back to the warmth of his chest to kiss her cheek and look over her shoulder.

“Thank you..” he rumbled against her hair.. “But you know if I’d woken before you got back I’d have worried, right?” he asked. It wasn’t that he was trying to be overprotective, but just as he was a hunted elf, she was a hunted dreadlord, a runaway, and so doing anything alone was never safe. He kissed at her neck and breathed her in.

“What are we eating?..” he asked and bit gently at her skin.

 

[Riley]

Arms came to wrap around that bare, warm torso. Her hands might’ve been cold from the outside even as she tightened them against his skin as he nipped her neck. A breathy laugh low in her throat as her eyes lifted to meet his own.

“I know. I know. You just looked so peaceful. Couldn’t bring myself to rob you of any extra sleep.”

She gently grabbed his chin to bring his lips to her mouth for a teasing kiss, letting her teeth graze his top lip.

“And as much as I’d probably enjoy you feasting on me, we’ll settle for eggs this morning.” Stepping back, she opened her pack to show him. “It’ll be a half day to Norwalk. We made a trip there once when I was in the academy. Oversaw a prisoner transfer. A lot bound to the mines near the Spine. We might get lucky and land on a day when more are coming through.”

 

[Kaius]

His muscles tensed slightly against her cold hands against his skin, but he wouldn't dare complain.. "Mh.." he grumbled in response to her excuses, and he bowed to her kiss in instant forgiveness and gave a roguish grin at her teasing. "That I would.." he laughed under his breath and rolled his shoulder as she stepped back.

"Alright.." he nodded with a sigh as she spoke of their detour. "But if we're out of our depth we go get the others and return, deal? No more incidents, no more risks. If there's something to be done we'll do it properly." he smirked at her and reached to her face as he pressed a kiss to her head.

"I'll get dressed."

 

[Riley]

A long, over-exaggerated sigh escaped her. "Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine," a smirk on her lips as her eyes watched him as he turned to dress. "Deal I guess." She looked away with a slight shake of her head. Taking the eggs out of the pack, she got the fire going and dropped them in a pan.

As tempted as she was to watch him dress, she managed to keep her focus on the pan.

If she watched him dress, she might very well jump his bones.

"I know a lot of things about you but I don't know how you like your eggs."

 

[Kaius]

"I damn well mean it." he called back to her from the little bedroom as he gathered his clothes.

Kaius slipped on his breeches and buckled his belt before tossing his shirt over his shoulder and returning to the fire.. "Scrambled is fine." he laughed under his breath and drew up behind her with a rumbled 'thank you' as he kissed her cheek, and pulled on his shirt.

He flopped into the dusty armchair to watch her with mild amusement as she so attentively cooked him breakfast, and his arms stretched above him casually and his hands settled behind his head as he kicked back. "I could get used to this.." he grinned roguishly with a wink at her.

 

[Riley]

She whacked his rear with the spatula before he swaggered off to that chair.

"Well, I don't cook much so don't get too used to it," Riley winked to the elf as she finished up the eggs. She did meat okay. Eggs. She mostly ate vegetables and fruit raw when she got them. It's not like dreadlords went to cooking school as part of the Academy.

Finishing up the eggs, she carefully set the pan down between them. Plucking some out she blew lightly on them and took a bite. "No heroics goes for you too, you know," one end of her spatula pointed at him in mock accusation. "The town is only a few miles from here so at least we won't have to trudge long in the snow."

And the cold. Yuck. How could she be missing this cabin before they even left it?

 

[Kaius]

His eyes creased as he laughed, his lips twisted mischievously, and he let his gaze wander over her as she cooked. If Arwyl didn't succeed in being the death of him first, then she would be, but Gods, he loved her. He sighed deeply as he resisted the urge to let his heart speak, and instead he let it ache for a while longer. There was no hiding the thought from his eyes, but there wasn't much he could do about that. He could keep his words to himself, but to avert his gaze? He'd rather go blind.

Kaius helped himself to some eggs, his brow arching as the spatula was pointed at him. He smirked and said nothing about it, simply giving a shrug as he shovelled in another mouthful of his breakfast.

"At least we have the horses. You can always ride up front of me if you're cold." he winked playfully.

 

[Riley]

She swallowed another biteful of eggs, giving his playful suggestion some serious thought. Even if he was joking, she was actually considering it. "You might think that's funny," another bite of eggs and another swallow. A sip of coffee to wash everything down.

"But I'm considering it. I doubt you'd be able to concentrate much, though." A wink at the elf. Nine levels of hell, she'd gladly take that extra warmth. But she wasn't about to appear weak in front of him. No, no, no. She'd have none of that. She was Riley, for shit's sake. A strong, independent, dreadlord dropout.

Setting down the spatula, she scooted her chair back.

"I'll get the horses ready. Think you can managed cleaning up?" She tried not to smile when she asked the question.

 

[Kaius]

"Oh I was being entirely serious. We'll keep warmer that way." he smirked and shook his head at her jest. "And I'll be concentrating on plenty." he jibed back, his eyes following her as she got up and he near choked on his coffee with indignation.

"Oh so that's how it is, is it? You want to be the man of this relationship?.. Fine, I can handle it.." he grinned.

And he did handle it, despite having lived wild and rogue for over twenty years, Kaius had been a soldier, neat, regimented and meticulous. Just as he'd demonstrated in Sylmara's halls, he left the little cabin perfectly neat and tidy, probably more so than it had been when they'd found it.

His grin was a smug one as he pulled himself into his saddle, and he shuffled back a little to make room for her up front, patting the seat with a wink.

 

[Riley]

"You are enjoying this way to much," she quipped up at the elf. How was it that any time she saw him, there was that nudge in her chest? She knew she'd be dreaming about that face of his for a very long time.

Lifting her foot, she tugged herself onto the horse, carefully swinging her leg over so she didn't hit him. Mighty warrior elf felled by a human trying to share a mount.

"Don't you dare tell anyone or even Arwyl about this, okay?" She insisted with a huff even though she was grateful for the warmth now at her back. His arms taking the reins of the horse along her sides. She marveled quietly about how she seemed to fit against him like two puzzle pieces coming together.

Even such very different pieces.

Gods forbid someone found out one of her weaknesses. She could only think of the endless teasing from the red-haired king. Or even Riz. And the pranks to follow. As they took a path away from the cabin in the fresh snow from the night before, she took one last glance at the cabin, trying to hang onto the memory for as long as possible.

 

[Kaius]

Kaius was, of course, utterly besotted. Toying with her amused him, and it was nice just to feel happy, to be mischievous and carefree, to enjoy that tangible and tactile relationship he hadn't realised he'd needed so much. It was nice to laugh.

"Not a word.."

Having her pressed against him as they rode was... stimulating. And it appeared that he had not yet got his devilry out of his system. The scent of her hair that he breathed, the warmth of her body that his hands strayed over, it was enough to send him into a heady trance and he groaned by her ear and kissed her neck as he let go of the reins and let his hands slide down her waist and down her thighs with a quiet growl.

"This was a bad idea." he mused roguishly.

 

[Riley]

A shiver ran through but not from the cold. A shiver of desire. Did he know the paths of heat his touch coursed across the skin beneath her clothing?

"Kaius," a whimpering moan left her throat. "I told," she managed to catch the reins with one hand. Her head screamed at her to be logical. To watch the path. To not let the reins drop. But everything else? Everything else was like clay in his cursed, LOVELY hands.

Another soft moan as his lips trailed along her neck. A hand reached back, fingers searching for his neck, his hair, to dig in. "Definitely not cold anymore," she muttered against him, neck turning and head tilting to capture that stubborn mouth of his with her own.

Her other hand tightened on the reins so she wouldn't drop them.

 

[Kaius]

Gods he was weak. Her fingers on his neck and clutching at his hair didn't help matters, certainly not the scalding kiss. His breaths quickened, his pulse pitching to frantic as he pulled desperately at her clothes, desperate to rid himself of the only thing between his hands and her bare skin.

The journey would have to wait, or would it? Either way, whether it was on this horse or pressed against the nearest tree, it was happening. Then, maybe he'd be able to concentrate on the road ahead for a little while longer.

 

[Riley]

One hand smoothed down her hair.

Again.

That was a...first. Riding while...toes curled again in her boots at the thought. That poor horse had just kept going, unstartled. Unminding.

After.

Well, after she'd insisted on dismounting. Him and the horse to get her pants back up and to get on her own horse. As much as that was enjoyed by both of them, she decided they wouldn't be sharing a horse anytime soon. Gods, she couldn't believe they'd done that.

"Stop looking at me like that," she huffed, keeping her eyes on the snowy path ahead. Because if he did, she doubted she'd stay on this horse much longer. "Village should be coming up soon so help me keep my pants on."

 

[Kaius]

Kaius laughed at her scolding and dragged his gaze and grin away from her to focus on the path ahead, rubbing at the back of his neck, still clammy to the touch. They were damn lucky they didn't do themselves an injury.

"You're a big girl, I'm sure you're perfectly capable of keeping your pants on when you want to." he mused cooly.

It wasn't too long before the little village came into view, and Kaius led dusk off of the road and into the tree line to get a closer look without being seen.

 

[Riley]

A low whistle and a quick shake of her head.

"Did you just call me...big?"

"I am shocked."

A grunt.

"Absolutely shocked you don't have better manners," a lopsided grin finally cast over her shoulder at the elf. Her voice lowered as they got closer, her face turning serious. "We'll have to go in. Not sure if we'd spot any prisoner transfers from here. They probably keep them locked up in the local jail. Or outside it."

 

[Kaius]

Kaius blinked, his brows furrowing as he rubbed at the back of his neck.. "Wait, y-you know I didn't.. You're, I mean you're perfect, I--". Her grin cut him off and he let out a breath and groaned at her, smirking with relief..

"Cruel." he muttered to himself with a huff.

He stared through the thicket, his lips pressing thinly at her words and he nodded slowly.. "Aye, looks like it.." he glanced at her. "You know it's usually me talking Arwyl out of wandering into danger like this.." he frowned. "We should get the others and come back.. If we're caught they'll never find us here."

 

[Riley]

Watching him flounder like that. She almost laughed out loud. The impish grin only spread further on her lips with a small shake of her head. Cruel.

A breathy laugh.

"You love it," she whispered.

She paused, eyes dragging from his face and back to the town. A low sigh. Shoulders slumped a fraction. "I didn't listen to you before but I"ll listen to you now."

See? Even someone like Riley could learn to listen. To a select few. All of a sudden losing him? She wouldn't be able to stand that. Especially if it was her fault. Even if it meant they might be too late to free those prisoners.

"Let's turn back," she agreed quietly. And gave him a look not to tease her about this rare compliance.

 

[Kaius]

His lips quirked at her whisper. He couldn't deny it. There wasn't a thing about her that he didn't love, other than perhaps her impulsiveness, but that was only because he feared it.

Kaius watched her shoulders slump, and his brows rose as she agreed to listen to him for a change. He lapsed into a shocked silence, his grin growing wide as he had to fight the urge not to say anything about it.

"Look, we're here now. It seems quiet enough. I trust you, go check it out, see if you see anything, that way we know if it's a waste of time. If there's anything there, we'll get the others and come back. Deal?.."